Can you believe that it was August (yes, half a year ago!) when I last showed my revised plan for Coastguard Creek. Truth is, I've been busy with not only modelmaking commissions and videos for BRM, but also with the studio build and other things that have taken up my time (like a community cookbook!).
6 months ago (or thereabouts), an early test with old track pieces showed that it's going to perhaps be too tight to get in the whole trackplan on the intended board size. That said, this was a rushed test, and I haven't had the space to really lay out the plan properly on a flat surface.
On Monday (1st March), Lawrence (of the Model Railway Club) interviewed me for a segment for the World of Railways Virtual Show 3. During which I was asked about future layout plans, and of course it led me to talk about Coastguard Creek. I was asked if I could provide some pictures of all my layouts, so I really wanted to share some renders of this layout too. You may remember that I've not done proper renders because the 3D model doesn't have textures; only colours. I thus decided to spend a few hours updating the V2 plan with proper image textures so that I could produce some half-decent renders:
It may seem like a lot of effort to go to for a layout plan that hasn't been fully tested and will need changing, but the fact is that I will still use all the components of the 3D model for every update to the design to come in the future; it'll be really easy to adjust things where necessary (that's the joy of 3D modelling!).
Above: It's also been nice to see the layout come to life; in a way that the colour-only version couldn't quite do. You may also note that I've been adding more details, specifically to the windows; as these are what give buildings a large amount of their character. By the way, I'm not 100% sold on the slipway position here, but I'd like to include one.
Above: One thing I couldn't quite be bothered to do was to match the tile-hung wall texture on the coastguard cottages to their real-life counterparts. The problem is that I couldn't find a suitable image online, and I didn't want to spend a long time making one from scratch! In reality, the tiles are larger, have bigger colour varieties, and are separated by notable white lines/joints of some description.
Above: Bridges are one of my favourite railway features for some reason, yet it's rare that I've had one on a layout of mine. There's something about watching a train trundle over one that piques my interest! This bridge may be a small one, but the effect is still there.
Above: The boatyard has become a really nice focal point on the layout. It's a real hodge-podge of structures and materials; concrete, asphalt, brick, tile, corrugated iron, steel, and mud to name a few!
Above: Despite almost everything remaining the same since the last version 6 months ago, there have been two minor changes. Firstly, the placement of the trees has been ever so slightly modified, and there's been an addition in the form of a small wooden jetty. For a while I even layed a narrow gauge track to it; coming in between the stream and pub! I think that's a bit over the top for this small layout though, especially as it would have to cross the standard gauge line (and possibly a point).
Obviously, before I go any further, I need to do a proper mock-up; preferably with my usual cardboard buildings and trees etc. However, it's been really nice to go back to this fictional coastal settlement and see things in a slightly different perspective.
I'd love to start construction of this layout throughout the summer, so a mock-up is high on my priority list (as soon as I can move into my studio -
click here to see the latest progress). Until then, apologies for the sporadic updates, and if you have any ideas, feedback, or general comments; do pop them below!
Tomorrow will be yet another blogpost (crazy, I know!), exploring the inspiration behind this project with some neat drawings.
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